Democrats ask feds to observe mayoral election

Sep. 4, 2013

Dave Ware

Written by

American Staff Writer

Saying that “some of the controversy surrounding” Hattiesburg’s special mayoral election has taken on a racial tone it finds “troubling,” the Democratic Party of Mississippi has asked the federal government to send representatives to observe the Sept. 24 election.

In a letter dated Aug. 23, 2013, Mississippi Democratic Party Chairman Rickey L. Cole made the request of United States Attorney General Eric Holder.

“The more eyes on the process, the better,” Cole said Wednesday. “The more attention and daylight that’s brought into the process, whether there was anything untoward that happened or might have happened or not, it’s much better to have independent observers to make their observations from the standpoint of a disinterested person.”

Hattiesburg Mayor Johnny DuPree, whose 37-vote victory in June over former City Councilman Dave Ware was challenged in court and eventually led to the second election, said in a statement Wednesday that he had asked Coleman to make the request.

“Elected officials receive our authority to govern from the people, and it is important for every citizen to have confidence in the voting process,” DuPree said. “I felt it was important to request the federal government to observe this election – along with the state – to ensure there are no questions about the process, nor the outcome.”

The special election was called by Judge William Coleman after a mistrial was declared in a suit brought by Ware, challenging the outcome.

During the ensuing hearing, a number of issues in the election were brought forward, including the handling and safeguarding of affidavit ballots.

The revelations have led to a split City Council blocking DuPree reappointments to a five-person Election Committee and contributed to City Clerk Eddie Myers’ resignation.

DuPree had nominated the same five members of the Election Commission for the special election, saying that they had done nothing wrong during the June election.

Tuesday night, the council split again, voting against DuPree’s nomination to fill the city clerk’s position on an interim basis and rejecting one of two of his recommendations for interim deputy city clerk.

The council also had asked for independent observers in an Aug. 15 statement released by President Kim Bradley.

The statement said that council “will contact the offices of the Governor and the Secretary of State … to request formally that measures be taken to ensure that this special election be carried out in a spirit of transparency, accuracy and integrity.”

The statement also said that in the opinion of the council, “the only way to regain the trust of the City of Hattiesburg voters is to conduct the special election without the input or assistance of any City of Hattiesburg personnel or any members of the most recent Election Commission.”

It also asked that poll workers undergo training and that the Secretary of State assign monitors to each precinct.

Ward 2 Councilwoman Deborah Denard Delgado issued her own statement, saying that she did not share many of those sentiments, and welcomed federal observers over the state’s.

Cole invoked the Voting Rights Act in his letter to Holder, saying that piece of civil rights legislation was enacted to ensure what all involved in the special election say they want: a fair and non-discriminatory voting process.

“It’s to ensure that discriminatory practices or discriminatory behavior doesn’t occur,” Cole said. “We are creatures of our history, but there have been many times we have been able to rise above it, and we want to be sure that we rise above it again on Sept. 24.”